Skin: Bf110 of ZG26 in North Africa

[crowbaby]

hmm, started this about 12 hours ago, take out lunch, dinner, etc. it's taken about 5 hours solid work and it's not even finished.

[crowbaby]

some of the better original photos i was working from....

[crowbaby]

I've only just compressed it down to 256 colours. What i need to do next is pick some of those colours to put back in the detail i've lost, particularly in the smokestain and on the yellow parts of the engine nacelles.

[jbroey3]

whats up with the Box instead of the swastika???

[SFRT - Frenchy]

HTC don't want them. (I prefer an Iron Cross instead of a diamond).

[JoeDirt]

Originally posted by SFRT - Frenchy
HTC don't want them. (I prefer an Iron Cross instead of a diamond).

meh. i think they should have them. if it was on the plane it should be on the plane. but neeeww[no]......to many whiners think its "offensive". HTC's gotta be politicaly correct...

[Soulyss]

Could it be legal reasons? I know some countries prohibit the displaying of the swastika, since HTC has an internet/international bussiness going here I would imagine they would have to keep that in mind.

[Innominate]

Soulyss is right, some countries have barbaric laws against freedom of speech.  Mostly those ashamed of thier past.

Anyways, an absolutly beautiful skin.

[mustang]

So what about the 109G-2 that has the huge swasitkas on the wings?  From what I have read no 109's even had them on the wings like that, but I'm not sure.  However, where was the no swastika policy then?

[SIFTER]

Mustang,
 Other countries and religions used the Swastika through the centuries. The 109 G2 in AH is marked in Finlands National markings. They used the large ones on there wings.
                                                                             Berserkr

[Kweassa]

1. crow, that is brilliant I could only hope to figure out how skinning in potential layers is really done in such beauty! Another excellent study material for a neophyte skinner like me!

2. Freedom of speech is not an absolute right. It applies so long as it is in alignment of the fundamental constitutions of universal democracy. Nazism is politically and officially an undemocratic ideology which promotes racism, discrimination, and right-wing terrorism. Only the USA allows the freedom of speech to outright Nazism followers. In the USA, the potential grounds for filing a lawsuit against Nazism is not about its political background, but on obstruction of property or mental damages. All other countries limit the freedom of Nazism on the grounds that allowing free speech for Nazism is a self-denial to democratic beliefs.

3. The "swastika" is an ancient symbol found in many religions:  far-east, middle Asia, ancient pagan symbols of the Germans, Indo-Aryans, Slavs, Vikings and etc etc. Thus the historicity or the meaning of a certain symbol is to be derived/judged upon what context it is used. The "swastika of the moon" that is used in Finnish airforces, though identical in image, is in different color and symbolizes different things. It has a different context. Therefore, it is generally accepted the Blue Cross of the Finns is in totally different meaning from the black swastika of the Germans. If the black swastikas would be used on German planes, it would mean Nazism in both symbol and context. Therefore, the black one is rejected, while the blue one is accepted.

[crowbaby]

Kweassa, i'm by no means an expert on this, but i can try to explain how i use layers. I find it saves me a lot of work and it's very flexible. I use a separate layer for just about everything, which means i can adjust each element independantly.

First off i open the original Bmp from the savedtex folder. I convert this to RGB colours and use it as my base layer. I work in 256*256 pixels from the start - i hate lowering resolution: this way i get to see exactly what i'm doing.

I start a new layer. Photoshop lets you name layers, which is very handy! On this layer i copy all of the panel lines. I can change them later if i want. This layer floats fairly high on the pile.

Next new layer is a base coat. I mask off any bits that don't want it, i.e. wheels etc. and then just fill the whole layer. Now i've got something that looks like this:
(though in this one i've got a lot of shading and crap on the same layer as the panel lines)

[crowbaby]

Next layer will be first camoflage coat. Then i'll use the eraser on a low setting around panel lines/contact points etc. to weather it off a bit.

After that, each layer is much the same, until i've got a huge pile, each one a little weathered so that the layers below show through.

[crowbaby]

Then pretty much the last layer is the 'dirt' layer. A lot of this is general dirt, and is blurred.
Specific things like smoke trails from exhaust and guns i try to find in photos first and then spend a lot of time on them. Exhaust should follow the flow of air from the prop or over the wing. This gets quite a high percentage of the 256 colours at the end to try and keep it subtle.

I'll often work with the intermediate layers turned 'off' so that i can better see what i'm doing.

[Duedel]

Crowbaby great work!!
Kweassa well said!!